1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of removing moisture from sludge in the centrifugal field of a solid jacket centrifuge through the use of agitator elements and a shearing centrifuge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the dehydration of sludge, particularly of finely dispersed sludges, which occur in decanting centrifuges through sedimentation from a suspension, it has been observed that the residual moisture is lower in the case of greater radial acceleration, the lower the difference in rotational speed between the exterior rotor and an interior rotor with a helical conveyor, and the greater the solid matter throughput. Using all the cited variables, and taking into account the above-identified relation, a so-called compression number or coefficient can be determined. In specific ranges of the compression number, the residual moisture continuously decreases. Beyond that range, however, as the compression number increases, the residual moisture content is not significantly changed. In other words, beyond a specific limit of compression coefficient, no further reduction of residual moisture can be obtained.
This can be explained in that in the case of the boundary residual moisture, all particles have solid contact in relation to one another and thus the lowest possible packing density has been achieved. This theoretically possible value of boundary residual humidity, however, is far below those values which can be obtained in apparatus currently being used as sedimentation centrifuges. At least it has not been possible to the present time in the case of large technical apparatus to obtain the above-explained boundary residual moisture.